Welcome to our SEND page! This page is to help you find the information you need to understand the ways in which we support and include children with Special Educational Needs and those with Disability.

At Mottram Church of England Primary School, we provide a high quality education for all, that is inclusive of any Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND) a child may have. We support children with a wide range of needs, including in the areas of:

• Communication and interaction, for example, autistic spectrum disorder and speech and language difficulties.
• Cognition and learning, for example, specific learning difficulties such as dyslexia, dyscalculia, dyspraxia and moderate learning difficulties.
• Social, emotional and mental health difficulties, for example, emotional understanding and wellbeing, and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• Sensory and/or physical needs, for example, visual impairments, hearing impairments, processing difficulties and epilepsy.

The school creates an inclusive environment; we have a policy within the school of caring for all our children. Every child at some time in their school life may need special educational help for any number of reasons. The staff are aware of this and are able to seek help and guidance on how to deal with problems as and when they occur. These may be emotional, behavioural, learning or related to a medical need. If at any time you have concerns about your child in any way, do come into school and share your concern with your child’s teacher.

Following this, our special needs co-ordinator (SENCo), Mrs Higginbottom, is also available to discuss any issues relating to SEND.

1. How does Mottram Church of England Primary School know if children need extra help?

We know when pupils need help if:

• It is identified by a professional within the school.
• Concerns are raised by parents/carers, teachers or the child.
• Limited progress is being made.
• There is a change in the pupil’s progress or behaviour.

2. What should I do if I think that my child has Special Education Needs?

Every child at some time in their school life may need special educational help for any number of reasons. If you have concerns about your child, then come into school and share your concern with the class teacher and/or Mrs Higginbottom.

3. How will Mottram School support my child?

• Each pupil’s education will be planned by the class teacher. It will be differentiated according to the pupil’s individual needs. This may include additional general support by the teacher or teaching assistants in the class.
• If a pupil has needs related to more specific areas of learning such as spelling, handwriting, literacy or numeracy skills then they may be placed in a small group where specific interventions are given. These will be run by the teacher, teaching assistant or practitioners within the school. The interventions will be regularly reviewed to ensure effectiveness and inform future planning. If you have any queries related to the interventions, please do not hesitate to make an appointment with the class teacher.
• Pupil progress and Inclusion meetings are held termly in school. This is a meeting where the class teacher discusses the progress of all pupils with the Senior Leadership Team. These meetings may indicate further support for some pupils.
• Occasionally pupils may need assessing or we may need to seek advice from an outside agency such as Speech and Language or an Educational Psychologist. A referral will be completed with your support and consent and forwarded to the most appropriate agency.
• Staff access relevant training as part of their professional development to support children’s needs.

4. How will learning be matched to my child’s needs?

• If a child has been identified as having a Special Educational Need, they may have an individual education plan or targets which will show additional support or interventions that they may be accessing. These will be set up and shared with you by the class teacher. Targets and/or support will be discussed and planned according to their needs over time and recorded on a provision map. If appropriate, specialist resources or dispensations may be given to the pupil, e.g. writing slopes, coloured vision rulers, pencil grips, concentration cushions, coloured overlays, visual timetables, additional time or somebody to scribe for them.
• Reasonable access arrangements may be arranged where appropriate following the DfE Assessment and Reporting Arrangements for children taking tests or SATs.

5. How will I know how my child is doing?

• You will be able to discuss your child’s progress at parents’ meetings held in the Autumn and Spring terms.
• Children with additional support/agency in place will have a pupil centred review completed with class teacher and then with SENCo termly as appropriate.
• Your child’s class teacher will be available to speak to you after school. Please make an appointment.

• Appointments can be made to speak to the SENCo (Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator) Mrs Higginbottom, at the office.
• If your child has an EHCP, they will be invited along with you to review this. The meeting will give us the opportunity to set new targets and discuss how we can support each other to best meet the needs of your child.

6. How will you help me to support my child’s learning at home?

• At Mottram Primary School, we aim to foster a good working partnership with parents/carers. The class teacher may suggest ways in which you can support your child and include these on an individual plan. The plan will include suggestions of how you can support your child at home.
• If outside agencies or the Educational Psychologist have been involved, suggestions and programmes of work are normally provided and can be used at home.
• Additional provision is overseen by our Special Educational Needs Co-ordinator and implemented by the Inclusion/SEN teacher, Mrs Jackson.
• In school, teachers and support staff have received training and provide support and advice for children who have a range of learning needs. We deliver a wide range of interventions to support learning (including precision teaching, SALT, Guided writes, Motor Skills United, Lego Therapy and nurture groups) to support children with difficulties.

7. What specialist support and services are accessed by the school?

At times, it may be necessary to consult with outside agencies and these agencies may in some cases work with your child on the school premises.

The agencies used by the school include:

• Educational Psychologist
• Speech and Language Therapy
• Visual Impaired team
• Hearing Impaired team
• CLASS (Communication, Language and Autistic Spectrum Support)
• BLISS (Behaviour Support team)
• School Nurse
• GP
• Early Help Team, Parent Partnership
• Healthy Young Minds/CAMHS
• Pupil Support Services
• British Dyslexia Association

8. What support will be given to my child with medical needs?

• We adhere to our school medical policy.
• Where a Care Plan is required, we will work with you and professionals to formulate a plan to meet the needs of your child.
• In the case of a medical emergency, we will assess the situation and if required will not hesitate to ring 999. We will contact you immediately.
• We have members of staff who hold a certificate for “First Aid in the Workplace” or who have completed the “Paediatric First Aid Training”.
• We have staff who have completed “Mental Health First Aid.”

9. Who can I contact for further information?

You can contact your child’s class teacher or the school SENCo, Mrs Hughes.

Should you have any questions regarding how Tameside supports families with SEND, please click here  https://www.tameside.gov.uk/localoffer 

Further information can be found in our SEN Policy

These are some useful policies linked with SEND

Supporting pupils at school with medical conditions

Accessibility Plan

SEND Code of Practice January 2015